As a rare movie that does more than just mindlessly encourage the consumerist status quo, the movie Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance features a cinematic montage arranged around the theme of modern life being out of balance with nature. The soundtrack features the chanting of three Hopi end of the world prophecies. I will discuss those prophecies in this blog.
Prophecy 1: "If we dig precious things from the land, we will invite disaster."
According to research, people today have lead and mercury levels in their bodies hundreds of times higher than before the industrial revolution. The implications of this on society as a whole may be quite profound. Most of this lead and mercury comes from impurities in coal, which is dug up and burned it great quantities. Also dug out of the ground are all the other fossil fuels that are having such a strong effect on the planet's climate.
Prophecy 2: "Near the day of Purification, there will be cobwebs spun back and forth in the sky."
In any big city, if you look up, you will see contrails criss-crossing the sky. The jets burn huge amounts of fuel to travel, creating massive amounts of CO2 gas.
Prophecy 3: "A container of ashes might one day be thrown from the sky, which could burn the land and boil the oceans."
Fossil fuel combustion creates carbon dioxide and ash. The carbon dioxide diffuses into the oceans as carbonic acid. This lowers the pH, making the survival of coral reefs perilous and may be harming the health of countless other sea creatures. The oceans don't exactly boil from the pH drop, but they do become less able to support life. Additionally, most of the heat trapped by the excess CO2 gets absorbed by the oceans (about 5 atomic bombs per second worth), raising the ocean temperatures significantly.
As all three Hopi prophecies are coming true, it may seem like the end of the world is at hand. Great disruptions due to climate change are coming soon. To avoid the Hopi end of the world prophecies coming to pass, we should look to the lifestyles of pre-industrial peoples, such as the Hopi. Less reliance on chemicals (including fossil fuels) mined from the ground would lead to better health for people and the planet. A lifestyle more balanced with nature, preserving and supporting nature, the way our ancestors lived for countless centuries is still achievable, for now.
